In a recent feature with Bizwomen and the Dallas Business Journal, Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones, CEO of Cars for Kids, shared her thoughts on navigating leadership in the nonprofit world during turbulent times. With a career rooted in servant leadership and experience leading major organizations like the American Red Cross of North Texas and Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, Cheryl brings a wealth of knowledge to her role at Cars for Kids—a Texas-based nonprofit supporting high-risk students through Texans Can Academies.

Cheryl’s passion for mission-driven work stems from her early exposure to Robert Greenleaf’s servant leadership philosophy, which helped her align her personal values—like empathy, humility, and active listening—with a greater purpose. That alignment has guided her through some of the nonprofit world’s biggest challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturns that have tightened donor wallets.

She emphasized that these challenges only make the mission more urgent. At Texans Can Academies, some campuses serve students facing homelessness, hunger, and other obstacles to graduation. Cars for Kids helps fill those gaps—not only through vehicle donation proceeds, but by enabling a wraparound approach to education that includes school supplies, basic needs, and job-readiness programs.

With the threat of an economic contraction looming, Cheryl offered practical advice for nonprofit leaders:

• Stay true to the core mission—cut back on peripheral programs if needed, but keep your focus on what matters most.
• 
  
• Prepare contingency plans before the crisis hits. Know which programs are essential, and be honest about what might have to pause.
• 
  
• Be transparent with donors and the community. Don’t just share the “sunny side”—people appreciate honesty and are more likely to stay engaged when they understand the need.
• 
  
• Celebrate every donation, even small ones. A $10 gift might seem small, but when donors see the specific impact—like buying a school uniform—it becomes meaningful.

Cheryl also encourages nonprofits to get creative with revenue streams. At Cars for Kids, that means exploring partnerships, renting out unused space, and even helping other nonprofits set up their own vehicle donation programs through collaboration.

Finally, she underlined the evolving role of social media and AI in modern fundraising. Quick, compelling stories—like highlighting a student’s upcoming graduation—can inspire donations in ways traditional methods can’t. And with AI, campaigns can be launched faster and more efficiently.

Her biggest takeaway from years of leading through uncertainty? Empower your team. Transparency and inclusion in decision-making foster ownership and lead to smart, cost-saving solutions. And most importantly, good leadership means staying connected—to your people, your donors, your peers, and the mission you serve.

At Cars for Kids, we’re proud to have Cheryl at the wheel—guiding us with clarity, collaboration, and a deep commitment to driving change.

(Source Dallas Business Journal)